news/notes 2009.02.17

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Economy has worst fall in 35 years
12.5% annualized dive in quarter reflects Japan's beating: Yosano
The economy plummeted at an annualized pace of 12.7 percent in the
three months through December, the worst fall in the past 35 years.
Gross domestic product for 2008 shrank 0.7 percent in real terms,
compared with 2.4 percent growth in 2007.
Household consumption fell 0.4 percent in October-December, or an
annualized contraction of 1.7 percent. Privatesector capital investments
plunged 5.3 percent, or an annualized contraction of 19.5 percent.

Japan firms played into Khan's nuclear hands
Key devices abetted disgraced proliferator's atomic arms quests

Doubt cast on North's uranium aenrichment

Nakagawa denies being tipsy ahead of Rome G-7 briefing

Caracas [AP]-Chavez wins vote to scrap term limits

[Asia-Pacific]-from "The Japan Times"
North says missile part of 'space' effort
Northe Korea on Monday fueled speculation that it is preparing to test
a long-range missile, signaling that it will go ahead with a rocket launch
as part of a "space development" program.

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
abet
【他動-1】〔悪事を〕けしかける、唆す、ほう助する、教唆する、扇動する
・Abetted by inflation, the company needed to raise the prices for their
products. インフレのため、その企業は製品の値上げをしなくてはいけなかった。
・He abetted a newcomer in the kidnapping.
彼は、新入りを唆して誘拐をさせた。

disgraced
【形-1】面目をつぶされた、汚名を負わされた、屈辱を受けた
・They shouldn't feel disgraced.
【形-2】不祥事を起こした
・An institute director made a visit to the place where the
disgraced researcher led the excavations.
研究所理事は、今回不祥事を起こした研究員が発掘を指揮した場所を訪問した。

proliferator
【名】拡散国家◆大量殺りく兵器拡散を推進する国。

quest
【名-1】追求、探索、探求
・The quest for peace in the world is never ending.
世界の平和の追求には終わりがない。
【名-2】冒険の旅
【自動】探し求める
【他動】《詩》探求する